Children’s – BOOK RIOThttps://bookriot.com
Book Recommendations and ReviewsTue, 26 Sep 2017 19:57:11 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.2Banned Children’s Books to Read This Weekhttps://bookriot.com/2017/09/25/banned-childrens-books/
https://bookriot.com/2017/09/25/banned-childrens-books/#respondMon, 25 Sep 2017 10:36:31 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=137643This week is Banned Books Week, the week we celebrate having the freedom to read whatever we want. Did you know that even children’s books are challenged sometimes? It’s true. You might wonder why anyone would try to ban a picture book or a young adult novel. It turns out that there are a whole lot of reasons, including parents’ desires to protect their children from things like magic (the Harry Potter series), scientifically accurate sexual education (Where Willy Went), and even depictions of people at the beach (Where’s Waldo?).

The American Library Association keeps a list of frequently challenged children’s books based on reports from schools and libraries across the United States. In many cases, children aren’t able to have access to these books at home, so it’s crucial that schools and libraries are able to keep books in circulation and preserve access for all children. And if today’s youth are anything like I was as a child, knowing that a book has been banned or challenged just makes it infinitely more compelling.

Here are some surprising banned children’s books from ALA’s list to check out in honour of Banned Books Week.

This picture book is based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who is now a teenager. Jazz knows she is a girl who loves pink and dressing up like a mermaid, even though her family is a little confused until they visit a doctor. From there, the book explains what it means to be transgender with simple language and appealing illustrations. Unfortunately, it’s pretty easy to guess why this book has been challenged by parents in some areas—but in response, there have also been supportive readings of the book organized across the U.S.

Published in 1995, this book follows 10-year-old Kenny and his family on their vacation from Flint, Michigan to Birmingham, Alabama—just when violence is about to sweep over Birmingham. This book calls attention to a dark time in American history, but it was officially challenged because of “offensive language.”

Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford

Yes, believe it or not, your favourite elusive stripe aficionado has been challenged. Why? Apparently, a version published in 1987 showed a woman’s bare breast in one of its beach scenes. It is a true challenge to notice one bare breast amid the confusing and jam-packed scenes these books contain, and I almost want to congratulate whoever found it. Except that trying to ban the book on that basis is completely ridiculous.

This picture book is about a dark chapter in American history: the decision to send thousands of Japanese-Americans into internment camps after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Once they get to the camp, Shorty and his dad decide to build a baseball diamond and create their own league. As far as I can tell, this book is challenged mostly because a racial slur appears in the text—a slur that is no doubt accurate to the time period and is in no way endorsed by the book.

This was one of my very favourite middle-grade book series when I was still middle grade, and I was surprised to see it on ALA’s list. The series follows smart bookworm Anastasia through her pre-teen and teen years. The series does have a lot of references to realistic aspects of teen life: drinking, sex, stuffing one’s bra…Like Judy Blume, Lois Lowry has the distinction of appearing more than once on this ALA list. Her book The Giveralso appears.

Last but not least, I wanted to include this girl-power 90s guide to adolescence because my mom totally bought it for me in, oh, 1999. I remember looking through it with a friend and wondering if the exciting changes detailed within (periods, bras, boys) would ever happen to us. Anyway, yes, people even object to a straightforward puberty guide book for girls. The What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Girlsand What’s Happening to My Body? Book for Boys also show up on ALA’s list. Because knowing how your body works should apparently be banned.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/09/25/banned-childrens-books/feed/0Eyes Open: Young Girl Narrators Teach Me to Seehttps://bookriot.com/2017/09/20/young-girl-narrators/
https://bookriot.com/2017/09/20/young-girl-narrators/#respondWed, 20 Sep 2017 10:42:50 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=133564When I started writing, I was always choosing children as my narrators, always girls, who could get away with folksy simplicity because, to my estimation, they were children and adorable and wasn’t it cute that they were a bit feisty? I took a writing workshop focused on child narrators with Tayari Jones, and she asked me why the characters were so good? My MFA instructors criticized the same thing—there was no grit, no tension, because the characters were all so good. This goodness was a problem, but for the life of me, I couldn’t make these girls not good. To my estimation, not good was bad. I was a girl who was raised to be good. I couldn’t exactly make my girls bad, could I?

But as I get older, and as I read more, I see that this view of the child narrator—the dichotomy of good/bad, the emphasis on the wide-eyed innocence of a child—is not particularly useful. We don’t expect an adult character to be good or bad. We expect nuance. And these days, as I encounter a new young girl narrator, I see that it is essential to be wide-eyed, yes, but neither innocent nor wise.

(Why not a young boy? No reason, really. Writers and readers alike have their comfort zones, and for me, being a cis-gender woman, I’ve grown up on narratives by and about girls at all stages of life. That’s not to say there isn’t story, nuance, and depth with the fellas, I just can’t speak as widely to it.)

Recently, I started reading Calling My Name, the debut novel by Liara Tamani, forthcoming from HarperCollins in October. This is the coming-of-age story of Taja, a young African-American girl growing up in Texas. She is hitting puberty, questioning her faith and spirituality, and struggling with her place in her family—not the oldest, like her brother, and not the baby, like her sister, but a middle child grappling with all its attendant annoyances.

Taja’s story is told in short, episodic chapters that stand on their own, flashes into her life that are told with such beauty, such clarity, such richness, that I often have to stop after I finish a chapter, letting myself absorb the exquisite craft of what I’ve just read.

And while the writing is gorgeous, and the conflicts are so spot on, the thing that strikes me is Taja herself. She is young, but not innocent. She’s questioning but not naive. She’s manipulative but not malicious. And she is a noticer. Her eyes are wide open.

Her narration takes me back to Brown Girl Dreaming, to The House on Mango Street, to Leaving Atlanta, and straight back to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which is perhaps where all young girl narrators always lead me. But the girls in these books are noticers. They observe and question and assess. They have hard edges that the world has given them, they maintain the softness they were born with, and they notice things. They are interested. They are engaged.

I remember still the aggravation I felt when I taught college English. I would ask freshmen, what are you interested in? What are you passionate about? What do you like to do? And so often, I got a shrug. A student trailing off with a coy smile, a chuckle that played me for a bleeding-heart fool: “I don’t know, nothing?” They asked the question but didn’t want an answer.

What frustrated me wasn’t that they were being difficult, but that they really seemed to be telling the truth. They weren’t interested in anything. They had no hobbies. They didn’t like to do things. And to that end, they didn’t notice things (like how frustrated their teacher was getting). I was astonished when a student wrote in my semester evaluations that I wore too many scarves. Someone had actually noticed my scarves? I HAD CHANGED A LIFE!

So when I read a girl narrator who notices things, I get excited because I know I’m going to see. I’m going to relive those early days of discovery. Our world has gotten very small; we know far more information than we ever used to, for good or for bad. But how much do we discover? How much do we see?

It doesn’t escape me that these child narrators who I admire are written by grown women. It’s the character who sees, yes, but from the imagination of an adult. Because an adult is giving a child a voice with which to question, eyes with which to see, I am reminded that I have done so. I have seen and discovered. I did it before, as a child, no less; I can do it again. I can be a noticer.

That wide-eyed realness of a young girl narrator allows me to see again, to stop being impossibly adult and obsessing over the news and making to-do lists. The crushing mental load lifts ever so slightly so that I can see. Really see. Where my knee-jerk reaction as a writer was to make young girls folksy and simple, what I wanted was this: the ability to see, a way to discover, through those girls. Because I think at the intersection of wisdom and innocence, we get just that: discovery. And that’s where story is born.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/09/20/young-girl-narrators/feed/0Children’s Book Recommendations for Freestyle Rappershttps://bookriot.com/2017/09/18/childrens-book-freestyle-rapping/
https://bookriot.com/2017/09/18/childrens-book-freestyle-rapping/#respondMon, 18 Sep 2017 10:38:05 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=136898I could not stop watching the video of Ludacris, father of three, reading/freestyle rapping Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama Red Pajama that popped up on social media just last week. Llama Llama Red Pajama is a favorite children’s book in my household and, I must admit, since watching the video there have been visions of me trying to rap this beloved classic popping up in my daydreams. In theory, I could try to replicate Ludacris’ genius, in reality…yeah, I’ll leave that task to the experts.

Ludacris began his wacky journey into kid’s book rapping on “The Cruz Show” via Los Angeles’ Power 106. The host of the show, J Cruz, is the mastermind behind the idea and, although he’s had several rappers on reading kid books on the show in the past, thus far nothing has gone viral quite like Ludacris and Llama Llama.

In dedication to this children’s book rapping endeavor, here are five suggestions for books that Ludacris, or other artists, should consider tackling in the future:

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-ReesThis book rhymes and is about an animal, much like Llama Llama Red Pajama. I’ll give bonus points to any rapper who also creates moves to go with their rendition of this dance-centric book.

Ten Tiny Babies by Karen KatzIf I was going to attempt to rap a book, this would be it. Katz’s words seemingly bounce off the page; it’s basically magic.

Sadly, the author of Llama Llama Red Pajama, Anna Dewdney, died earlier this year. I have to believe she would be smiling at the unexpected exposure her little llama and his red sweater have gotten since Ludacris stood up to the challenge and rapped her beloved words for the whole world to hear. RIP Anna Dewdney. Thanks for your creativity, words and lovely little llama.

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]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/09/18/childrens-book-freestyle-rapping/feed/015 Children’s Books to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Monthhttps://bookriot.com/2017/09/15/childrens-books-hispanic-heritage-month/
https://bookriot.com/2017/09/15/childrens-books-hispanic-heritage-month/#respondFri, 15 Sep 2017 10:36:05 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=136089Editor’s Note: The original version of the post erroneously included Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella by Robert D. San Souci. The title has been removed from the list and replaced with a correct selection.
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For Ages 3 to 8: In Dominican legend, ciguapas are creatures who live in underwater caves and have backward feet so their footprints cannot be followed by humans. Although most ciguapas fear humans, Guapa is curious about a boy she sees at night when on a hunt for food. When she gets too close to his family and is discovered, she learns that some humans are kind, but she promises to never get close to humans again.

For ages 4 to 7: Inspired by Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, who broke Cuba’s traditional taboo against female drummers, the drum dream girl dreams of playing the congas and the bongós, but must practice in secret because the long held rule on the island is that “Girls cannot drum.”

For ages 7 to 10: Max wants to visit a boutique that sells handmade dolls, but it worried that other kids will tease him. When he finally enters the store, he meets Señor Pepe who has been making dolls since he was a boy in Honduras. Señor Pepe reminds Max that “There is no shame in making something beautiful with your hands. Sewing is a skill just like hitting a baseball or fixing a car.”

For ages 8 to 12: Gaby Ramirez Howard loves volunteering at the local animal shelter, but has been feeling like a stray herself lately. Her mother has recently been deported to Honduras, and Gaby has to live with her inattentive father. She is waiting for her mother to come home so the family can adopt Gaby’s favorite cat from the shelter. When the cat’s original owners show up at the shelter, Gaby worries that her plans for a perfect family are about to fall apart.

For ages 8 to 12: A showcase of 20 Hispanic and Latino men and women who have made outstanding contributions to the arts, politics, science, humanitarianism, and athletics. Each biography is accompanied by a portrait and includes quotes and timelines.

For ages 8 to 12: Neftali finds beauty and wonder everywhere. Against all odds, Neftali is able to prevail against his father’s cruelty and his crippling shyness to become one of the most widely read poets in the world.

For ages 8 to 12: The apocalypse begins on the day Rabi, Miguel, and Joe are practicing baseball near their town’s local meatpacking plant. The boys decide to launch a stealth investigation into the plant’s dangerous practices. With no trusted grownups around, Rabi and his friends grab their bats to stay alive and maybe even save the world.

For ages 8 to 12: A presentation of the broad spectrum of Latino culture that provides a resource for young Latinos to see themselves and helps non-Latino readers learn of the contributions made to the United States by Latino Americans.

For ages 8 to 12: María is a girl caught between two worlds: Puerto Rico, where she was born, and New York, where she lives in a basement apartment in the barrio with her father, who is the building’s superintendent. As María struggles to lose her accent, she tries to fit into the barrio’s unfamiliar culture.

For ages 10 to 14: Celeste is a dreamer who lives in the idyllic town of Valparaiso, Chile. When Chile’s government declares artists, protesters, and anyone who helps the needy to be dangerous to the country’s future, Celeste’s parents must go into hiding, and she is sent to America.

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]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/09/15/childrens-books-hispanic-heritage-month/feed/0What You Need to Know About the HARRY POTTER Illustrated Editionshttps://bookriot.com/2017/09/14/harry-potter-illustrated-editions/
https://bookriot.com/2017/09/14/harry-potter-illustrated-editions/#respondThu, 14 Sep 2017 10:35:41 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=136568The Harry Potter illustrated editions by Bloomsbury are beautiful masterpieces and perfect additions to any fan’s library. Jim Kay, the award-winning illustrator, has been working for the past few years to bring life to the beloved series. Unfortunately, illustrating a seven-book series takes a loooong time (especially with well over 100 illustrations per book!), so we’ve still got a ways to go before you can pick yourself up a complete set. The Sorcerer’s Stone was released back in 2015, with Chamber of Secrets following a year later, and Prisoner of Azkaban coming October 3 of this year.

Also available from Bloomsbury are deluxe illustrated editions, which include exclusive foldout illustrations and come in cloth slipcases with intricate gold foiled designs.

Jim Kay uses a variety of techniques to create a truly magical and dynamic experience in the Harry Potter illustrated editions. Something that particularly stands out is the amount of time he spends adding all kinds of tiny details into each piece. For example, look at the carvings and graffiti on the door behind Hermione in this illustration from The Sorcerer’s Stone.

And the intricacies of this feature about the phoenix that can be found in Chamber of Secrets.

Here’s a night landscape featuring the Knight Bus from the upcoming Prisoner of Azkaban illustrated edition.

Looking at the above illustrations, one can see how Kay varies his style between different types of illustrations and as the story itself moves into a darker tone. Check out this feature on Pottermore or his own website for more insight on Kay’s process and to see more of his amazing art.

Other Harry Potter illustrated editions

Fortunately, because this is a series so beloved around the world, there are infinite ways we can enjoy the books and the story without a full set of Harry Potter illustrated editions available at our fingertips right this second. Here are a few illustrated-edition-adjacent options to tide us over.

1. The illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was just released by Amazon as an ebook using Kindle in Motion technology. By viewing the ebook with a compatible Fire tablet or through the Kindle app for iOS or Android, Jim Kay’s gorgeous illustrations come to life through animation, bringing a whole new dimension to the book and its art.

3. A great way to enjoy extra awesomeness in all seven books of the series is through the Harry Potter Enhanced Editions, created through a collaboration between Pottermore and Apple.

4. And, finally, if you’re interested in other artists’ takes on the series, check out Kate’s great post featuring Harry Potter covers from around the world.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/09/14/harry-potter-illustrated-editions/feed/0Dark Board Books for the Gothic Toddlerhttps://bookriot.com/2017/09/12/dark-board-books/
https://bookriot.com/2017/09/12/dark-board-books/#respondTue, 12 Sep 2017 10:42:40 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=135947It’s a truth generally acknowledged that Book Rioters love darkbooks. And since we’ve noticed that Book Riot readers gobble up any book list with “dark” in the title, I immediately noticed one audience who is not being served: babies and toddlers! So here are some suggestions, whether you already have a gothic toddler, or you’re trying to raise a baby bat.

Let’s start off with something something to set the mood. Jane Eyre isn’t scary, but it is broody and atmospheric. This Cozy Classics Jane Eyre introduces your infant to this gothic-inspired story while the felt illustrations keep it cuddly and approachable. Each page just has one word and an illustration, plus the sturdy cardboard pages can withstand even a baby bat’s sharpened fangs. A nice beginning to your Dark Board Books curriculum.

Keeping it classic, this BabyLit Wuthering Heights introduces a few more words per page while familiarizing your kid with the stormy moors of this tumultuous, toxic romance. BabyLit simplifies classics like Cozy Classics, but moves away from the cuddly felt towards the sharp lines of these cartoon illustrations. A great way to ease your were-pup into darker narratives.

Once they’ve mastered Wuthering Heights, you’re ready to move on to the epitome of dark BabyLit board books: Edgar and the Tattle-Tale Heart. What reader hasn’t finished the original tale of a murderer driven mad by the disembodied heartbeat of his victim, closed the book with a sigh, and thought “I can’t wait to read this to my future child?”

Your gothic toddler is now familiar with both the basics of dark board books and parody, so it’s time to pick up The Very Thirsty Vampire!* The Very Thirsty Vampire keeps trying different beverages, but he just can’t seem to quench his thirst. What will finally satisfy him?

Finally, it’s time to test your little ghoul’s Darkling status by reading them I’m Going To Eat You by Matt Mitter. Spike keeps hearing a terrifying voice saying “I’m going to eat you!” but when he goes investigating, it’s only the same old monsters lurking in his house. What he finds in the end is much more terrifying than he could imagine. (This one is out of print, but you can read it by watching this youtube video!)

And there you have it! My six dark board books suggestions for the gothic toddler. Do you have any that I’ve missed? These are just the board books (cardboard pages), but I might just make this a continuing series with picture books next! Let me know if you have any favorites I should know about.

*Disclaimer: Your miles may vary for how appropriate any of these books are for a baby, but The Very Thirsty Vampire in particular is written as a parody for adults, so maybe don’t hand it to a toddler that’s anything short of a True Gothling™.

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]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/09/12/dark-board-books/feed/018 Things I’ve Learned As A Children’s Literature Researcherhttps://bookriot.com/2017/09/06/childrens-literature-researcher/
https://bookriot.com/2017/09/06/childrens-literature-researcher/#respondWed, 06 Sep 2017 10:31:18 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=136115This is a guest post from Daisy Johnson. I read, write and research children’s books. I’m also a librarian, blogger, and I make pretty amazing chocolate brownies. Cake and books, what’s not to love? Follow her on Twitter @chaletfan.

People will think that they are the first to ask “So does that mean you just read Harry Potter?” They are not the first person to ask this.

Picture books are magic.

Research is a conversation and you will get better the more you talk about it.

Social media is a lifeline. Learn to listen as much as you tweet. Hear the conversations of others. Let it make you and your work better.

You will be unbearably sad and unbearably happy, often all in the same day, and when you look back on these days, nothing and everything will make sense.

Feverishly intense conversations with small children about their favourite books will suddenly be the best thing in yourworld. Seriously. Small readers and the light that burns in them, that full-body-light, it’s the best.

At some point, when somebody asks “So does that mean you just read Harry Potter?” you will say yes and then launch into a three hour long treatise about the need to rehabilitate Petunia Dursley just to see the look on their face.

My kids have books. A lot of books. They have books that were mine when I was a kid (some literally and some gifts from family who remembered old favorites). They have books that friends and family gave them. They have books they chose themselves. They have a lot of books.

I know we’re not the only ones who’ve struggled with how to shelve these books. A Google search for “children’s bookshelves” turned up a lot of results. Like whoa. So here’s some ideas from me, your friendly neighborhood Rioter mom, on good ways to keep your kids’ books from becoming a second layer of carpet.

First you’ll need some bookshelves. Obviously you can go to any furniture store, but maybe you want something a little more DIY?

SEMI DIY BOOKSHELves for kids OPTIONS

Ikea spice racks as children’s bookshelves

A long-time favorite among my friends (and in my apartment) is these IKEA spice racks, repurposed for holding children’s books cover-out. IKEA must have caught onto this trend, because they now have their own version, FLISAT Wall storage, and a matching floor display.

Another awesome idea is using wooden crates for kid’s bookshelves. These are great because picture books actually fit in them! I have used old milk crates my mom collected in the 1970s. You can still find great deals at flea markets, but they’ve become more popular and sometimes the price exceeds the quality by too much. Luckily, there are also lots of places to buy new crates, and you can always add paint or decoupage them to look the way you want. IKEA has the KNAGGLIG Box; Target’s World of Wood Collection includes several milk crates; and an Amazon search returned 18 pages of results.

Like this, but full of kids’ books

Perhaps the simplest (and least expensive) of all would be to create “built-in” shelves using brackets and boards from your hardware store.

FULL DIY OPTIONS For KID’S BOOKSHELVES

You can build your own bookshelves for kids. Yes, you. No experience? No problem. I am here to tell you about Ana White’s plans for building basically everything. (I am not getting anything to recommend them.) Here are my favorite bookshelves for kids:

This awesome library book cart would be great for a kid who needs their favorite books with them no matter where they’re playing.

My kids’ room never had space for a cool book display like this, but maybe yours does.

TIPS FOR ORGANIZING KID’S BOOKSHELVES

I will be honest with you. I don’t recommend organizing your kids’ books. WHAT? I hear you say. Hear me out. You want your kids to put their own books away, so your logical organizational methods probably won’t work. This is the time to organize by size or by color, or to give up organization and just let books live where they get put away. Sooner or later, your kids will have favorites, and those favorites will live where they can be found (in my son’s case, three dozen of them in his bed). Be at peace with this.

FURTHER READING

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/09/05/bookshelves-for-kids/feed/0The Most Important Children’s Book You’ve Never Heard ofhttps://bookriot.com/2017/09/01/chalet-school-in-exile/
https://bookriot.com/2017/09/01/chalet-school-in-exile/#commentsFri, 01 Sep 2017 10:32:32 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=135762This is a guest post from Daisy Johnson. I read, write and research children’s books. I’m also a librarian, blogger, and I make pretty amazing chocolate brownies. Cake and books, what’s not to love? Follow her on Twitter @chaletfan.

Imagine this.

It’s 1940, and you’re a British writer for children. You’re fairly well established. You’ve been doing this for over fifteen years, and you’ve got a good handful of titles under your belt. Your work is popular – you don’t know this yet, what with time travel not having been invented,but in nineteen years you’re even going to have a fan club.

But right now, you’re faced with a choice. Do you acknowledge the seismic horror of the Second World War in your work or do you not? Some of your fellow writers sail into a world full of idealism and Arcadia, and become increasingly defined by this otherworldly romanticism, whilst others take a contrary view and write this brave new world into their stories. Air raids, rationing. Stiff upper lips and patriotic fervour. Rule Britannia.

But you, you brilliant, wonderful thing you, you decide to do things a little differently.

You write a book that faces the war head on. You stubbornly, deliberately, point out the difference between Germans and Nazis, even as you tackle themes of Gestapo persecution, racialidentity, and political machinations. You let some of your characters express the inexpressible, and the indefensible, whilst others fight back with words, and belief, and hope.You show your readers that because the good people survive, they too will live. You write a book defined by female language and the strength of it, and you talk about occupation and aggression and war and you tell your readers that there’s a way through it all.

You tell them that resistance, hope and empathy wins.

Let’s stop imagining for a moment, and talk facts. I’ve been telling you about a book calledThe Chalet School in Exile, which was written back in 1940 by a middle-aged British writer called Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, and I think it might be the most importantbook you’ve never heard of. Children’s literature is a political space and some authors have always been more comfortable than others in addressing that. But here’s the thing: you can’t ever run from that politicised edge. From the way that a book’s placed on the shelf, through to the genders, sexualities, and identities that are presented, eachbook that’s out there says something, whether it wants to or not.

So the next time you’re in a second hand bookshop, or have some money to spend online, seek out The Chalet School in Exile. Read it alongside The Journey by Francesca Sanna, or A Is For Activist by Innosanto Nagara, and share it with your children and the children you talk to and the children you work with, because it’s a book that, however much it pains me, still has so much to say about the world that we live in today. As the headmistress,Miss Annersley says, “There are terrible forces of evil abroad in the world and we, as a School, must do our share towards ending them.” We may not be at school, we may be several years or generations past school, but we can champion those books that question and challenge the world when it’s gone a little wrong. And when it comes down to the books that do that, The Chalet School in Exile is probably the most important book you’ve never heard of.

But now you know its name.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/09/01/chalet-school-in-exile/feed/1Book Lovers Unite: Help With Hurricane Harvey Recoveryhttps://bookriot.com/2017/08/31/hurricane-harvey-recovery/
https://bookriot.com/2017/08/31/hurricane-harvey-recovery/#commentsThu, 31 Aug 2017 10:40:10 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=135473As has happened so many times, the book community has really pulled together to support Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts, even before the rain stopped falling. From area bookstores opening their doors to provide respite from the storm, to people reading picture books to each other online, here are a few of the ways that readers across the country have committed to helping out in the days, weeks, and months to come. You can help, too.

A post shared by Murder By The Book (@murderbooks) on Aug 28, 2017 at 2:34pm PDT

Hurricane Harvey Book Club

On Sunday afternoon, Kathryn Butler Mills, a teacher in Katy, TX, was at home, waiting out the storm and bored. Like all of the teachers who found themselves stranded, she started to worry about her students and their families. She wanted to do some small thing to help bring them, and kids like them, some calm in the middle of the storm.

Mills started the Hurricane Harvey Book Club, a group on Facebook, and posted a video of herself reading a favorite picture book. She encouraged others to join her, and as of Tuesday afternoon, the group had grown to more than 12,000 members. Mills posted a follow-up video, saying “This is now a movement. It’s a movement to show people that even in the midst of a storm, that there’s love and there are just rays of sunshine, and that’s what you are for everybody.”

Teachers, librarians, authors, parents, and kids from all over the country are posting videos of themselves reading favorite books. Houston author Coert Vorhees shares the book he wrote for his son following Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Mills encourages people to keep posting videos. She also asks specifically that adults, once they have been added to the group, take the time to like videos and post encouraging comments to all of the young readers. With the group growing so large, it’s not a task she can undertake on her own. You can join the club here.

KidLit Cares Auction

Author Kate Messner organized an online auction for Superstorm Sandy relief almost five years ago, raising more than $35,000. This auction featured books, art, agent critiques and other book-related goods and services from the KidLit community.

Messner has organized another auction to support Hurricane Harvey relief. Items will be up for auction over the course of the next week. Auction end dates and times will be included in each post. Bids can be placed in the comments for each item’s post, and winners will donate the final amount directly to the Red Cross. Then, they will forward the receipt to Messner, and she’ll take care of putting all the right people together.

And if you just want to get in on the drawing for one of 36 hardcover copies of Messner’s new novel, The Exact Location of Home, you can donate $10 or more to the American Red Cross and email your receipt. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, September 6.

Scholastic will be taking requests from schools and making donations to help rebuild library collections. Teachers in the affected areas will also receive 500 bonus points to help them rebuild their classroom libraries.

Simon & Schuster, through their Education & Library marketing department, will be donating 250 “Best of Titles” to public or school libraries damaged by the storm or the related flooding.

Publisher’s Weekly covers other efforts that are being made by bookstores, publishers, and literary agents.

For those of you who would like to make your own contribution to relief efforts, here is a list of orgs that are local and will be on the ground, doing the good work. These organizations are targeting their relief efforts on marginalized communities specifically.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/08/31/hurricane-harvey-recovery/feed/1An Ode to Reading Kids’ Books Out Loudhttps://bookriot.com/2017/08/30/reading-kids-books-out-loud/
https://bookriot.com/2017/08/30/reading-kids-books-out-loud/#respondWed, 30 Aug 2017 10:32:43 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=135462This is a guest post from Sarah Ullery. Sarah suffers from chronic sarcasm, and an unhealthy aversion to noise. She loves to read, and would like to do nothing else, but stupid real life makes her go to work… By the way, the whole “She is too found of books, and it has turned her brain”-thing applies here. Sarah has had many, many different jobs, but her two favorites have been librarian and braille translator in the public schools. She finds the minds of children fascinating, and truly believes if children were listened to more often all the world’s problems could be solved. She reads everything, and wishes there was someway to just unhinge her brain and pour in all the words, although, that may take the fun out of it!

I love to read books out loud to kids.

No.

I like to read books out loud to anyone who’ll listen– kids just happen to be the more acceptable audience.

I’m jealous of Jenny Slate’s Marcel the Shell voice. I’ve tried to mimic it, but I come up short. I know mine’s not good enough, because my niece tells me it’s not good enough.

Charles Dickens intended his Christmas Carol to be read aloud in front of an audience. He made marks and wrote notes inside the book so he could remember exactly how he wanted to read certain sections. It was important to Dickens to get the characters just right. I understand that feeling. No character should have the same voice as another. Each character is unique, and it’s the responsibility of the reader to convey each unique voice.

Nancy Cartwright is one of my heroes.

When Harry Potter first came out I was in sixth grade, and I could read, so I read it to myself. My younger sisters couldn’t read yet, so my mom read it to them. She used voices, and anyone who has read Harry Potter knows how many voices are in Harry Potter. I think her Hagrid was particularly good, but I might be getting her and Jim Dale confused, because he does a really good Hagrid, but his Hermione’s terrible. He makes her way too whiny. It bothers me.

All good, but most do not require voice acting, or voices, as we picture book readers like to call them.

Children’s books require voices. Sometimes when I read a picture book out loud it takes me a little while to find the character’s voice. I know I’m reading a book written by an adept author when the voice of the character comes to me without having to work too hard to find it.

My niece likes to pretend that the ending of this book devastates her, but I know she secretly thinks it’s as funny as I do. I love a great morbid children’s book. This must be read with a droll voice. Don’t read it too fast. Give your audience time to process.

Sandra Boyton is like the queen of the board book. If you’re going to a baby shower, and you need to buy a book, you can’t go wrong with a Boynton, and I would especially recommend the Belly Button Book, or as it’s referred to in my family: the BEE BO book.

In this book, a family of rabbits adopt an orphan wolf, and the littlest bunny keeps telling everyone that her new baby brother is going to eat them, but of course no one listens. The little bunny narrates most of the book and should definitely be read with a high- pitched, indignant lisp.

This might be my absolute favorite book to read out loud. And that’s a high bar. This is about a little boy, his monster, and an assortment of other monsters that are trying to fill-in for the boy’s monster while he’s on vacation. The boy and the monsters each have their own unique voice. My favorite monster has a slurping lisp (notice- I like to use a lisp) and is wonderfully disdainful.

That Bunny Belongs to Emily Brown, written by Cressinda Cowell, illustrated by Neal Layton

Yeah, THAT Cressinda Cowell, the lady who wrote How to Train Your Dragon also has a series of picture books about a little girl and her stuffed rabbit Stanley. So if you’re like me, and you like to think you have a spot-on British accent- this is the book for you! Emily Brown definitely has a sweet but sophisticated British accent. And when the Navy, the Army, and the Air Force show up in the garden you get to shout in a British accent, which is also fun!

So, the Watson’s are adorable, Junie B. Jones is my hero, Captain Underpants is irreverent and I love it, and my niece and I ate a ton of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies while reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

It all boils down to this: I love to laugh. I love to do funny voices. I love clever writing. I think children’s book authors are bloody brilliant. My secret dream job is to be a voice actor, and reading out loud to kids gives me an outlet for my ambitions.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/08/30/reading-kids-books-out-loud/feed/0The 25 Best Children’s Audiobookshttps://bookriot.com/2017/08/28/best-childrens-audiobooks/
https://bookriot.com/2017/08/28/best-childrens-audiobooks/#commentsMon, 28 Aug 2017 10:39:22 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=134890Whether you’re going on a long family car trip or you want to introduce some children’s audiobooks at home, there are a ton of great options of audiobooks for kids. But which kid’s audiobooks are the best? How do you sort through them all? Don’t worry, I’ve done the work for you! I’ve selected (what I think are) the best children’s audiobooks, including audiobooks of children’s classics, as well as contemporary stories.

Don’t forget: your public library is a great source for free audiobooks for kids, especially new ones! Free children’s audiobooks, especially classics—in other words, older books that are in the public domain and not subject to copyright—can also be found on the many websites that offer free audiobooks. If you’re still craving more after this list, be sure to check out fellow Rioter Molly’s list of 100 family friendly audiobooks.

Supremely talented audiobook actor Guy Lockhart nails the different voices in this uplifting story about 13-year-old urban Black kid Castle Crenshaw, aka “Ghost,” as he stumbles into joining a track team. More than just a sports story, it’s a sensitive, realistic look at a young person dealing with trauma and trying to avoid the crushing effects of racism and poverty. Lockhart especially excels at the loving but tough coach.

It’s impossible not be charmed by David Tennant’s reading of the How to Train Your Dragon series. It’s obvious he’s having a blast reading the books, infusing them with his sense of fun as he narrates—in delightful Scottish accents—”the adventures and misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III as he tries to pass the important initiation test of his Viking clan by catching and training a dragon.”

Vividly set in the summer of 1968, One Crazy Summer is about the three Gaither sisters as they go to visit the mom who abandoned them and become unwittingly involved in the Black Panther movement. Voice actor Sisi Aisha Johnson does a great job embodying the voice of narrator 11-year-old Delphine, who’s the classic responsible oldest child.

Although audiobooks read by authors can be dry, Tim Federle is clearly up for the job, since he’s a self-described “grown up theater kid” telling the story of a theater kid. The main character Nate Foster is a small-town kid who has big dreams of starring in a Broadway show, so he and his BFF Libby plan an overnight escape to New York City. Nothing could go wrong, right?

The well-loved story of Nobody Owens, aks Bod, who lives in a graveyard and is being raised by ghosts, got the royal audiobook treatment in 2015, including a full cast, atmospheric music, sound effects, and a special behind-the-scenes scoop read by Gaiman. Not only are there adventures in the graveyard for Bod, if he leaves he risks being murdered by the man Jack, who has already killed his family…

This story of space-obsessed 11-year-old Alex Petroski and his dog Carl Sagan on am episodic journey to launch Alex’s golden iPod into space has been translated excellently to audiobook, with a cast of five voice actors playing the roles of important characters, including Kivlighan de Montebello as the main narrator. The resulting story is funny, inspirational, joyful, and full of heart.

Since Glenn Close starred as Sarah in the 1991 TV adaptation of this classic set in the 1800s, it’s only fitting that she narrates the audiobook of the beloved tale of two kids, Anna and Caleb, whose lives are changed forever when their widowed papa advertises for a mail-order bride to come live with them on their farm in the US plains. Will she decide to stay?

This dual perspective story is really brought to live by two voice actors personifying the two main characters, Josh Hurely voicing Joe and Vikas Adam voicing Ravi. Joe and Ravi are two boys who don’t think they anything in common. Except they find out they have a common enemy in the big bully in their class and, more importantly, that they both need a friend.

The epic story of Redwall is beautifully done in the full cast audiobook, with voice actors reading the dialogue of their respective characters and Brian Jacques himself reading the narration. It’s a fantastic way to experience the story of Matthias, the young mouse who must rise above his fears to save his friends at Redwall Abbey from the dreaded Cluny the Scourge, most evil rat of all time.

Trini Alvarado is the perfect bilingual actor for this historical novel dotted with Spanish about Mexican-Americans working on farms in the Depression. The story focuses on Esperanza as she goes from young daughter of wealthy landowners to Mexico to farm worker. A fabulous book that deals with a lot of issues (racism, migrant workers, workers’ strikes, class, sexism) in an authentic, fascinating way.

Any list of great audiobooks for kids would be amiss if it failed to mention Rob Inglis’s warm, rich narration of the classic tale of Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit who dares to leave the Shire to go off and have adventures all over Middle Earth encountering dwarves, trolls, dragons, giant spiders, wizards, and more! Inglis clearly has great fun trying on different voices for Tolkien’s epic characters.

It always makes sense for a memoir to be read by the author and Jacqueline Woodson does a splendid job reading this memoir in verse that makes up her unusual story detailing her childhood spent in both New York and South Carolina. It’s a rare accessible book of poetry, and Woodson’s dreamy, easy-going style is embodied perfectly by her mellow, carefree voice.

It’s an absolute treat to have Series of Unfortunate Events read by Tim Curry, whose expressive voice exemplifies the dry, dark, self-referential humor of the series. He’s especially chilling as the sinister Count Olaf, the enemy to the Baudelaire children, who fight back against Olaf using books. The first book, The Bad Beginning, has a full cast (including Curry) version with brooding orchestral music and excellent sound effects, but Curry is more than adequate on his own for the remainder of the books.

The unusual structure of this novel—told through the poems of 18 kids in a grade five class during an especially transformative year—thrives in audiobook format. Performed by seven different voice actors, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary tells the everyday stories of fifth graders as well as how the class as a whole is dealing with the impending closing of their school.

If you don’t already know Bahni Turpin’s name, a foray into audiobooks will soon change that, since she is a masterful and prolific audiobook voice actor who reads Shetterly’s information book. This non-fiction title adapted especially for younger readers is a gripping, amazing true story about four African American female mathematicians who were instrumental in some of the greatest moments in NASA’s space program.

Stockard Channing brings every single book starring Ramona Quimby (Ramona and Beezus, Ramona Forever, Ramona Age 8, etc.) to cheery entertaining life in this epic audiobook edition that is over 19 hours long! All eight books are there unabridged, as Ramona goes about her wacky adventures, gets into lots of trouble, and deals with all the stuff of growing up.

If you were in any doubt as to where the main character is Listen, Slowly grew up, voice actor Lulu Lam clears things right up with the best California accent possibly ever done. But there’s a lot more to this story about Mai, who learns the true meaning of family and her cultural when she travels to Vietnam with her grandma to find out what happened to her grandpa in the Vietnam War.

One thing that never really pops in print books are songs; luckily, in the full cast edition of The Princess Academy series includes plenty of singing. Laura Credido narrates while other actors provide character voices in the first book of this fantasy series about Miri, whose mountain home is turned into a “princess academy” which all girls must attend in order to have a chance at being the prince’s chosen one.

Jayne Entwhistle is the voice actor who compellingly tells the story of nine-year-old Ada whose life is changed for the better when she follows her brother who is sent away from London because of the war. Ada’s cruel mother has kept Ada inside because of her disability, so she seizes the chance to escape and have adventures. But will she and her brother be forced to go back to their mom when the war ends?

Mirron Willis is pitch perfect for this powerful story about 11-year-old Elijah, who is the first kid born into freedom in the Black community of Buxton, Canada in the mid-1800s. Willis excels at the cultural and historical dialect while telling the story of Elijah and his community as he eventually learns firsthand about the horrors of slavery that the adults in his life have left behind.

There are many audiobook versions of this beloved 1890s Canadian classic (including free ones) but the performance by Rachel McAdams is especially stellar. Her light, easy delivery effortlessly communicates Anne’s charisma and dreaminess, as well as the familiar quirks of all the characters in this tale of an orphaned girl finding a home (although she was not the boy her foster parents wanted) and getting into one hilarious misadventure after another.

Kate Winslet is at her finest in this audiobook edition of the cherished story about six-year-old Matilda, a sweet, exceptional girl whose horrible, ignorant parents are matched only by the children-hating headmistress of her school, the Trunchbull. Matilda has to use her magic powers and the support of her favourite teacher Miss Honey in order to give the Trunchbull what she deserves.

When’s the last time you read a novel about basketball told in poetry? Corey Allen shines in his reading of The Crossover, which is not only a novel in verse, but also one told in many different poetic styles. 12-year old Josh Bell is a talented basketball player, as is his twin brother Jordan, but he’s got “mad beats” too. As Josh and Jordan grow up on and off the court, they realize breaking the rules can come at a terrible price.

Jenny Sterlin’s performance of this very popular fantasy novel is just excellent. The story features Sophie, a girl who gets changed into an old lady by a witch and must journey to the ever-moving castle in the hills that is the title of the book. She learns more about herself (and Howl) than she ever thought possible as she struggles to break the strange enchantment.

Aha! You probably thought I forgot Rowling’s immensely popular fantasy about the Boy Who Lived, but of course this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning both the Stephen Fry and the Jim Dale audiobook versions. Both have their pros and cons: Dale’s women voices tend to be not great (Hermione can sound whiny) but he’s also considered the more dynamic reader by some.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/08/28/best-childrens-audiobooks/feed/1Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adulthttps://bookriot.com/2017/08/27/wild-things-joy-reading-childrens-literature-adult/
https://bookriot.com/2017/08/27/wild-things-joy-reading-childrens-literature-adult/#respondSun, 27 Aug 2017 10:31:11 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=134147Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult by Bruce Handy promotes reading and re-reading kids’ books to those who are no longer young. Don’t all bookworms occasionally return to their favorite stories of childhood? I know I do. But then I’ve always suffered chronic nostalgia, even while young. Wild Things will appeal to any bookworm who never got over growing up.

Handy’s stroll down childhood memories covers picture books like Goodnight Moon through young adult books like Charlotte’s Web. I came across reviews of his book while doing my own research on being old and reading young.

I just finished reading Anne of Green Gables for the first time because of seeing Anne with an E on Netflix. I was quite impressed with L. M. Montgomery’s 1908 novel of a Canadian orphan and wondered how many great stories I miss because I feel too old to read them?

I’ve always known I could time travel by reading books set in different historical periods, but it’s only in recent years that I realized I could time travel up and down my own timeline by rereading books that shook me at different stages of my life.

Anne of Green Gables has taught me something new. By reading books I didn’t read while young I can explore why, and that’s very revealing. At first, I thought I hadn’t read Anne of Green Gables as a boy because I thought it was a book for girls. Anne Shirley was eleven when she first came to Green Gables, about the age I should have read her story. At that age, I had read all the Oz books and A Wrinkle in Time, both books featuring girl protagonists. So gender wasn’t a factor.

Putting memory puzzle pieces together I realized as a child I loved books about fantastic adventures and eventually became a science fiction addict. Anne’s adventures were realistic and mundane. Now that I’m old I wish I had read Anne of Green Gables back then because I needed to have been more realistic about life.

I remember the first time I reread a children’s book as an adult. I had dropped out of my sophomore year of college to pursue my own self-education through reading. I bought a complete set of Oz books by L. Frank Baum and reread them – books I had first read in fifth grade. Even though I was less than I decade older, I realized how far I had come, how much I had changed, but more important, how the books had programmed me. The reading brought the unconscious to the conscious.

For years some libraries banned the Oz books believing they promoted unrealistic expectations about life. In my case, they were right. If I could have identified with Anne Shirley at eleven it would have balanced out Dorothy’s adventures.

I cannot be more detailed about the psychological revelations of revisiting childhood stories without writing a book. But then you could read Wild Things by Bruce Handy until I can get around to writing my book.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/08/27/wild-things-joy-reading-childrens-literature-adult/feed/0Don’t Miss the Bus! 10 Picture Books for Back To Schoolhttps://bookriot.com/2017/08/24/picture-books-back-to-school/
https://bookriot.com/2017/08/24/picture-books-back-to-school/#respondThu, 24 Aug 2017 10:43:34 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=134834It’s time for back to school, and while this inspires a range of emotions across the human experience (I’ll never forget the hilarious “most wonderful time of the year” school supplies commercial from my school days), in my house, we are addressing the anxiety around my son’s first day of kindergarten. As a long time elementary teacher, I instantly thought of several picture books that would introduce him to the school day and let us talk about his various worries. A trip to the library and few snuggled up reading afternoons might not have erased his fears, but he has an idea of what to expect, I have an idea of what is on his mind, and I got to reread some great stories.

The books below are all about school, whether the first day or an event common to the school year. I’d say they are just-right picks for students from preschool to third grade, but don’t underestimate the power of a good read aloud for all ages! Use these books to soothe the worries of kids just starting school (or the parents who are biting their fingernails at the bus stop). Here’s wishing you an amazing year!

No one ever wonders how the first day of school effects…the school itself. This book gently probes the worries of Frederick Douglass Elementary School as students pour inside for the very first time. A supportive and tender janitor helps the school adjust in this sweet story, complimented by the always-soothing illustrations of Christian Robinson.

This book follows a young Korean girl on her first day in an American school as she decides whether or not to choose a new, easier-to-pronounce name. A wonderful discussion about the push-and-pull between wanting to fit in and wanting to be true to yourself, this is a valuable story with lovely illustrations.

A teacher is so blinded by love for his pet that he fails to see how it’s ruining the classroom! The class steps in to help their teacher see the error of his ways, reinforcing the concept that teachers are fallible creatures who need students as much as the students need them. Brilliant illustrations and silly hijinks make this a perfect icebreaker book.

One of my favorite school books ever, this story addresses the concept that even the coolest, most adored teachers have to maintain order in their classroom. Lilly is crushed when her treasure is confiscated for being out before sharing time, and lashes out in a way she comes to regret. Luckily, Mr. Slinger understands the torrent of feelings that come with being a small kid, and his gentle forgiveness reinforces the idea that students are much more than their worst moments in the classroom.

Lailah is so excited to be old enough to fast during Ramadan, but she isn’t sure her classmates will understand why she doesn’t join them in the lunchroom. With support from her librarian and teacher, she finds ways to introduce her new friends to her beliefs.

A hyperactive and adorable bunny rejoices that the students are FINALLY HERE, then begins to scold them for making him wait so long. Jitters dissolve during this hilarious story (and the internet is full of cute activities that make this perfect for the first day of school).

Who is worried on this child’s first day of school? MOM! This role reversal empowers kids and comforts parents sending their little ones into the world for the first time, and the sequence of events throughout the story are a perfect primer on what to expect as you head out the door for school!

Ally loves dinosaurs, and can’t wait to meet all the other dino-lovers she’s SURE to find in her kindergarten classroom! Unfortunately, none of the other kids seems to share her obsession- some even snub her for her passion. As Ally moves through the day, she finds friends and learns to take turns playing games that other people love. The scene in the library at the end makes my heart warm every time.

A little boy is always seeming to get in trouble at school, and this book opens on his monstrous teacher yelling, stomping, and roaring her exasperation. But when Bobby and his teacher cross paths on a weekend, they realize there is more to teach of them then the roles they play at school.

A young girl is starting school knowing only one English phrase: Hello, my name is Sumi. At first, her experiences make her think school is scary and lonely, but as the day progresses, she begins to warm to the kinder aspects of her new school. Special in the way it reinforces how many different feelings any child can expect to feel on any given day of school, this book is a don’t miss.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/08/24/picture-books-back-to-school/feed/020 Ideas for Starting a Book Club for Kidshttps://bookriot.com/2017/08/18/book-club-for-kids/
https://bookriot.com/2017/08/18/book-club-for-kids/#respondFri, 18 Aug 2017 10:39:30 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=134406Book clubs for kids are some of the best ways to combine learning and fun. Many readers are adults here at Book Riot, but when we were kids, I bet we loved book clubs – I know I did! Whether they were through school, the local library, or a bookstore, it was great when someone organized a group of children together who all had the special gleam in their eye when books were the topic of discussion.

There are options now for kids to participate in entirely online book subscriptions, which are great, but there is something uniquely nice about mixing the fun of a play date with reading a new book. Kids who might otherwise want to read all day or play all day get a mix of both, and get to know each other as a result.

If your kid (or niece, nephew, godchild, etc.) would love such a club but doesn’t quite know where to start, make sure they know they can make their own, with or without a book-related organization, and the internet is here with many amazing ideas for getting started!

1. Find great people to join your club. Even if you start with a core of 3 or 4 readers, the club will need avid child readers who will want to continue even if others are more sporadic with their other commitments and the school year’s seasons of intense busyness. It’s good to see if right after school or later in the evening is better for everyone’s schedule as well.

2. Decide on a theme of some kind – a great entry point would be making a comic book club for kids, or maybe your child is really into fantasy literature and want to combine a love for drawing with reading books about fantasy creatures and lands. Some kids even love using a book club as a way to explore a topic that they can’t get into in-depth at school – we’ve all had our dinosaur phase, or been knee-deep in astronomy for a year or two.

3. Select great books for the first few meetings – with your kids’ input and posts from Book Riot, you can select anything from childrens’ books for the resistance to books for the in-between years when middle grades and YA are both not quite right. Searching our site for Children’s Books will yield even more options, all read and discussed in-depth by Book Riot writers.

4. Figure out how best to meet – these days, your kids aren’t limited to face to face meetings! If your kid met a great new friend at summer camp, encourage them to read books and Skype about them, or send letters through the mail or social media about what they thought of the books. While the rest of these ideas are mostly for in-person play date/book club meetings, you shouldn’t be limited by distance if you know of kids who would really love to create a virtual place to read, make crafts, discuss, and share excitement about reading.

5. Consider how fast your child reads, and consult with the other core members: how often is reasonable? There are a lot of monthly book clubs for kids, which is a nice mix of giving them some anticipation, some time to get the book read between homework assignments, and doesn’t overburden parents with the need to organize the club all the time.

6. If you choose an in-person meeting place, make it special and not just another play date. Pinterest and Etsy are great sources for beautiful and crafty inspiration on the book-themed décor of your choice.

7. Taking turns hosting in homes is an economical option, and delegating duties to different club members will make them feel like essential parts. If someone brings notepads for jotting things down, or someone else brings a signature item like a gavel to “bring the meeting to order,” it’ll make each meeting feel like it’s part of a continuous club.

8. Extra points if you can meet in a treehouse or jungle gym.

9. A great book club space is nothing without great book club snacks. When I created a book club in high school, I’m pretty sure that half the people in it chose to participate because there were snacks. Again, Pinterest can be your guide: my favorite is definitely the gummy worms that are billed as “Book Worms!”

10. While kids have talked about books in school, don’t be afraid to seek out online reading guides for a childrens’ book club. While they may fight structure a little, if you just provide the questions for them and let them choose what to talk about, they may turn to the questions to get their minds racing. Check out this collection of discussion helpers below!

11. Make sure that the kids in your club are at a similar reading level. While adult book clubs can often get away with assuming their many members will all be able to get a lot out of a book, having radically younger members of a book club with kids who are older is likely to cause friction and maybe hurt feelings. If there are multiple ages of kids, consider an older book and a younger book each time, so that the kids can focus on the book they find most satisfying.

12. Just because adult book clubs tend to focus on a long discussion of the book doesn’t mean you have to when creating a book club for kids. Consider adding a book-themed craft, like making cool book covers for your books. Craft time actually ends up being great time for discussion as glue is drying or paper is being cut. Looking at their crafts displayed in their bedrooms can also remind children of how much fun book club is and how much they want to go to the next meeting. Check out this Magical Treehouse craft when reading the Magic Treehouse books!

13. Another way to extend the fun is to turn book club into a lead-in for going to see the play version of a book, or a viewing of the movie version. Learning early about how to compare film, theater, and books is great for kids and feels like fun even when they are thinking critically. Don’t forget to pop some popcorn and make an evening out of it!

14. If you want to make the meeting more interactive and engaging for high energy kids, consider adding a game! Having a game in the experience will make the lessons of the book stay with the student for longer and keep everyone from wandering off. Games like Roll and Retell, linked below, can combine discussion with an action of rolling dice.

15. Younger children may want to have the book read to them, rather than reading alone – there are few ways to make reading come alive for kids better than reading aloud, and if they make a friend while experiencing that joy, even better! Even for children as developed as 3rd graders, consider starting with these books, guaranteed to keep their attention through different characters and exciting action.

16. Activities like worksheets and coloring pages can also start the discussion if kids aren’t quite sure what to talk about when they first get to a book club session. Kids are often very familiar with workbook-like pages, and if you look up whatever book you are reading, you are likely to find printable pages that allow them to think through the book they have read and chat about it amongst themselves as they work on the pages.

17. When deciding about the books that children will read in the future, it might be helpful to provide a resource or a list of choices with summaries; while some older children will already have their own ideas, younger elementary school children will benefit from a narrowing of their choices to, perhaps, four options that they can later use if different children express different interests.

18. While you’re deciding for the kids, consider whether some of the parents who are involved might want to read a book together that they can discuss while in the kitchen or in between checking on the kids’ fun. Sometimes, just what parents of book club readers need is their own book to chat about while getting to know the parents of their child’s friends.

19. When children leave the book club, they can leave with small favors, like these cool printable bookmarks that say “stay curious” – a reminder that they are part of the club! It’s nice to remind kids why they are doing their reading at home, so that they will be prepared for the book club meeting that is coming up next.

20. Remember to send the parents home with their own little reminder, either about where the club will be next month or how to get in touch to make the planning happen. It doesn’t have to be all the responsibility of one parent, especially if you get that core group of young readers together – a book club for kids can be a good time for parents to connect too, as they share the responsibilities and get their children involved.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/08/18/book-club-for-kids/feed/0Picture Books About Adoption for Gotcha Dayhttps://bookriot.com/2017/08/15/picture-books-about-adoption/
https://bookriot.com/2017/08/15/picture-books-about-adoption/#commentsTue, 15 Aug 2017 10:35:43 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=133778This month marks my 27th “Gotcha Day” in the good ole’ US of A. In case this is new vocab for you, Gotcha Day, “Plane Day”, or “Coming Home Day” in my family, is the day that I came home to America to my parents.

Growing up in mostly white Iowa, it didn’t take long for both my sister and I to figure out that we looked kinda different from our parents. I don’t remember the exact conversation, but it must have been extremely early in my life—for as long as I can remember, I’ve known that I was adopted from Korea. I was also lucky enough (although I didn’t recognize it at the time) to attend a Korean culture summer camp that helped me meet other adoptees and learn more about my homeland.

The Krugs were/are a reading fam, and the parentals read many books to us as kids that talked about adoption and having a different family.

Putting this list together got me feeling some kind of way. I hope they help young adoptees understand their history and feel less alone, like they did for me. These are my favorite picture books that were read to me as a little girl, and some that came recommended from parents with internationally adopted kids.

Choco is a young bird without a mother. He goes around to different animals, but is disheartened when they all tell him they cannot be his mother because they look nothing like him. He then meets a bear, who despite also being different from him, asks if she can be his mother.

Katie is an adoptee who, while wandering at the zoo, wonders where babies come from. She “adopts” a toy koala from the gift shop and learns what it takes to be a mother. There’s a focus on explaining the difference between biological and adoptive parents.

Korean adoptee, Nico, begins to notice that she doesn’t look like her parents and is upset when she sees the families of her best friends. Her parents explain to her that all families are different, whether they’re single parent, divorced, or same-sex, but they’re all held together by the same thing: love.

Told from the perspective of Arun, who is awaiting the arrival of his little sister from India. He is anxious to meet her, but the family runs into problems with paperwork and other red tape along the way. Despite the obstacles, Arun still finds ways to connect with his future sibling across the world.

Horace is a leopard in a family of tigers. He often feels out of place because of his spots versus his family’s stripes. He runs away to find a family that looks like him, and ends up learning what family really means.

The Red Thread: An Adoption Fairy Tale, Grace Lin
Based on the Chinese belief that all those who are destined to belong together are connected by an invisible, red thread, the King and Queen follow their red thread to find a baby at the end.

A couple prepares for the arrival of their baby. The book depicts the adoption process and how excited the future parents are.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/08/15/picture-books-about-adoption/feed/112 Beautiful ANNE OF GREEN GABLES Book Covershttps://bookriot.com/2017/08/10/anne-green-gables-covers/
https://bookriot.com/2017/08/10/anne-green-gables-covers/#respondThu, 10 Aug 2017 10:39:48 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=129981Here are 12 beautiful Anne of Green Gables book covers for you to browse and pick up for your home library… because whether you loved the latest CBC/Netflix adaptation of Anne or hated it, we can probably all agree on one thing: The Book is Better.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/08/10/anne-green-gables-covers/feed/010 Great Children’s Books for Adventurous Kidshttps://bookriot.com/2017/08/10/books-adventurous-kids/
https://bookriot.com/2017/08/10/books-adventurous-kids/#respondThu, 10 Aug 2017 10:32:12 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=133491Sponsored by Elizabeth Singer Hunt, author of The Secret Agent Jack and Max Stalwart series, published by Weinstein Books. A member of Hachette Book Group.

For fans of the award-winning Secret Agent Jack Stalwart comes a new chapter book series! Jack teams up with his older brother, Max, to solve international mysteries, using their special training as secret agents.

In The Battle for the Emerald Buddha, Jack is temporarily retired from the Global Protection Force and on family vacation. However, Jack and Max are motivated to act when a band of thieves takes the Emerald Buddha from the Grand Palace in Bangkok. On their own, up against one of the smartest and wealthiest villains they’ve ever faced, can the brothers find Thailand’s treasure in time?

There have been so many new thrilling books out for early middle grade readers who crave adventure. Here’s a list for adventure loving kids, from survivor stories, time traveling dogs, secret agents, and magical games.

The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi
I loved this book by debut author Karuna Riazi. This is an exciting, Middle Eastern spin on Jumanji, perfect for readers who love adventure and games. When twelve-year-old Farah discovers a wrapped package on her birthday, she assumes it’s a gift from her aunt. Upon opening it and beginning to play it with her two best friends, they discover that the rules of the game are life and death, and when Farah’s brother gets sucked into the game and disappears Farah and her friends have no other choice but to follow him. But no one told them that the only way to escape the game is to win it…

Overboard! (Survivor Diaries series) by Terry Lynn Johnson
Written by survival expert Terry Lynn Johnson, this books begins with eleven-year-old Travis and his family enjoying a whale watching tour off the coast of Washington. When disaster strikes and the boat capsizes, Travis and twelve-year-old Marina have to do everything they can to survive in the ice cold waters. This book includes Coast Guard-approved cold-water survival tips.

Lily’s Mountain by Hannah Moderow
When Lily and her family get news that her father has died while climbing Denali, the highest mountain in Alaska, Lily knows it can’t be true. Her father was a master climber and taught her all the survival tips he knew. When his body isn’t found, Lily decides to go to Denali and find him herself, and she’s sure she’ll find him alive. Little does she know that the journey is much more treacherous than she ever believed it could be.

Sled Dog School by Terry Lynn Johnson
Eleven-year-old Matt doesn’t find school very interesting, particularly not math. When he is given the opportunity to boost his failing math grade, Matt decides to start a sled dog school. After all, he loves his team of dogs. How hard could it be? But dogs and their owners are not so predictable, and Matt finds himself in over his head. Can he make his school a success and save his math grade?

Wing and Claw (series) by Linda Sue Park
This magical fantasy trilogy is about Raffa Santana, a gifted young apothecary who longs for his parent’s trust in as he puts together healing balms from the mystical Forest of Wonders. When he comes across an injured bat, Raffa puts together a cure from a rare crimson vine he found in the forest, but in addition to healing the bat it also transforms it. Can Raffa undo the magic he’s unleashed before it destroys everything he loves?

Rescue on the Oregon Trail (Ranger in Time series) by Kate Messner
This delightful series follows time-traveling golden retriever Ranger, a dog who (literally) follows trouble. He has been trained as a search-and-rescue dog, but he can’t pass the test because he keeps getting distracted by pesky squirrels! One day, he finds a mysterious first aid kit in the garden and is transported to the year 1850, where he meets a young boy named Sam Abbott. Sam’s family is migrating west on the Oregon Trail, and soon after Ranger arrives he helps the boy save his little sister. Ranger thinks his job is done, but the Oregon Trail can be dangerous, and the Abbotts need Ranger’s help more than they realize!

Secret Agent Jack Stalwart (series) by Elizabeth Singer Hunt
In this first book in the series, Jack zooms to the city that never sleeps to try to solve the mystery of the missing Allosaurus toe. Starting at the Natural History Museum, Jack’s detection takes him to a competitive grade-schooler determined to win the science fair with his experiment crossing his own dog with the DNA from the bone of a dangerous, carnivorous dinosaur. Soon the gargantuan creature is terrorizing New Yorkers and Jack must stop him before he devours the animals in the Central Park zoo!

Secret Coders (series) by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes
Stately Academy is a school crawling with mysteries to be solved! The founder of the school left many clues and puzzles to challenge his enterprising students. Using their wits and their growing prowess with coding, Hopper and her friend dodge robotic birds and child-hating administrators to solve the puzzle in this fun graphic novel.

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic (I Survived series) by Lauren Tarshis
Ten-year-old George Calder can’t believe his luck — he and his little sister, Phoebe, are on the famous Titanic, crossing the ocean with their Aunt Daisy. The ship is full of exciting places to explore, but when George ventures into the first class storage cabin, a terrible boom shakes the entire boat. Suddenly, water is everywhere, and George’s life changes forever.

Doodle Adventures: The Search for the Slimy Space Slugs (Doodle Adventures series) by Mike Lowry
I love this series where readers first draw themselves into the story, and then continue by following prompts and adding more illustrations and doodles. Set in space, the book invites the reader to join Carl, a duck and member of a super-secret international group of explorers, on a journey in search of a very important grail-like object.

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]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/08/10/books-adventurous-kids/feed/0Why I Love J.K. Rowling (and Wish She’d Stop Writing Sequels)https://bookriot.com/2017/08/09/j-k-rowling-stop-writing-sequels/
https://bookriot.com/2017/08/09/j-k-rowling-stop-writing-sequels/#commentsWed, 09 Aug 2017 10:33:20 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=133691This is a guest post from Rachel Brittain. Rachel was raised on Star Wars and Harry Potter and when she just couldn’t get enough of those stories, she decided to start writing her own. She’s dabbled in film, but spends most of her time writing novels and short stories and playing around in her own imaginary worlds. She loves musicals and baby animal gifs and all things geeky. You can follow her writing and random musings at rachelbrittain.com. Follow her on Twitter @rachelsbrittain.

My love for Harry Potter goes way back—like, way back. I started reading about our favorite boy wizard so far back in grade school that I almost can’t remember a time before I knew about Hogwarts and magic and shape-shifting animals. Harry Potter helped me discover a love of words that turned me into an avid reader and set me on the path to becoming a writer. I’ve gone to Wizarding Worlds and played Quiditch on the playground and gone to midnight premiers and been sorted (proud Gryffinpuff, thank you very much). So when I say my love of Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling is deep and enduring, I mean it.

But I really wish she would put the world of Harry Potter to rest.

I know, I know, Potterheads around the world are either grabbing their torches and pitchforks to come find me or nodding emphatically at their computer screens. I get it. We Potterheads are a passionate bunch, but hear me out.

I loved the original series, and I waited up solving all those middle-of-the-night clues to get early access to Pottermore, but eventually some things started to just…lose their glow. I loved learning about character backstories, but then information about some of the other wizarding schools just didn’t sit right with me. I grew up reading Harry Potter fanfic and imagining my own scenarios for what magic might look like for the next generation. And I’m sorry but one Wizarding School in America? That’s just not happening, my friends. There are way too many cultural divides in this country, and you also cannot convince me for one second that America would have the same kind of secrecy laws. Just look at our debates about gun control, and I think you’ll start to get the picture.

And then came The Cursed Child. Look, I’ll be honest, I kind of expected to hate it. I got the hardback version of the screenplay for my Dad’s birthday and read it before wrapping it up for him, and, because my expectations were so low, and because I had read a lot of the issues people had with it (it reads too much like fanfiction, the characterizations are out of left field, etc.), I actually wound up liking it more than I expected. It wasn’t anything spectacular, and most of the complaints people had were valid, but it wasn’t terrible either. But another admission? I don’t really hold it as canon. Yeah, yeah, I know, JKR herself has said it is, but guess what? I was an English Major. I read Barthes, okay, and this is one of those times when I am wholeheartedly sticking with “The Death of an Author.” (Which is not nearly as morbid as it sounds, I promise.)

And almost a year after it was released, I still haven’t watched Fantastic Beasts. I’m sure I will at some point. I’m not opposed to seeing it or anything, but the fact that I wasn’t anxiously awaiting its release, the fact that I’ve had opportunities to see it since and haven’t leapt at them—well, I think that’s pretty telling.

I still love Harry Potter, and I’m always going to get excited about things related to the original series. Maybe someday I’ll even get excited about some of the sequels—and, hey, I definitely wouldn’t turn up my nose to an actual prequel series about the Marauders written by Rowling—but in the meantime, I’m content to reread my faded Mary Grandpré editions and remember that the little boy wizard who sparked my love of stories will always be with me. Until the very end.

]]>https://bookriot.com/2017/08/09/j-k-rowling-stop-writing-sequels/feed/3100 Must-Read Middle Grade Fantasy Books From the Last 10 Yearshttps://bookriot.com/2017/08/08/middle-grade-fantasy/
https://bookriot.com/2017/08/08/middle-grade-fantasy/#respondTue, 08 Aug 2017 10:33:31 +0000https://bookriot.com/?p=133603I’m well into my thirties and still love Middle Grade Fantasy books. They’re so imaginative and fun and exciting, and I love escaping into them.

For this list, I chose a wide interpretation of “fantasy,” considering anything with fantastical elements, including paranormal. I also attempted to only include series where the first book was published within the last ten years. That — along with the fact that most people are familiar with them — is why you won’t see Harry Potter, Rick Riordan, or Artemis Fowl on this list. I also shied away from books that ventured too close to Young Adult territory, despite Janice Hardy’s Healing Wars series being one of my all-time favorites.

Putting this list together, 100 books went very quickly! I could probably triple this list without slowing down, so please feel free to add your favorites in the comments.

“Young mouse Calib Christopher dreams of the day when he will become a Knight of Camelot like his father and grandfather before him. Then, on the night of the annual Harvest Tournament, tragedy strikes.”

“When Lady Saren refuses to marry a man she fears, she and her maid, Dashti, are locked in a tower with just a tiny flap open to the outside world.” When Saren’s suitors arrive, she orders Dashti to impersonate her.

“Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it’s up to Hazel to go in after him.”

“When Molly shows up on Castle Hangnail’s doorstep to fill the vacancy for a wicked witch, the castle’s minions are understandably dubious. After all, she is twelve years old, barely five feet tall, and quite polite.”

“Even though his awful Great-Aunt Gertrudis doesn’t approve, Micah believes in the stories his dying Grandpa Ephraim tells him of the magical Circus Mirandus: the invisible tiger guarding the gates, the beautiful flying birdwoman, and the magician more powerful than any other—the Man Who Bends Light. Finally, Grandpa Ephraim offers proof.”

“Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright has spent his whole life in a tiny town in England. So when he is forced to move to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with his aunt, he … discovers an enchanting world through the old mirror hanging in his closet.”

“At 12 years old, lifelong friends Zach, Poppy, and Alice have created an exciting world of characters in an elaborate game. Figuring heavily in their plotline is the Queen, an antique doll of bone china. After Zach’s dad throws away his action figures, Poppy reveals that the Queen is made of the bones of a dead girl named Eleanor who has been communicating with her at night.”

“There are some people in this world who are a little more aware, a little more in tune with what’s happening around them. Isabelle Bean is one of those people, and when she sits in her regular, average classroom, listening to an odd buzzing sound and feeling as if she is teetering on the edge of the universe…she is not too far from the truth.”

“Flora, obsessed with superhero comics, immediately recognizes and gives her wholehearted support to a squirrel that, after a near-fatal brush with a vacuum cleaner, develops the ability to fly and type poetry.”

“Born as blank as canvas in a world brimming with colour and magic, Alice’s pale skin and milk-white hair mark her as an outcast. Because, for the people of Ferenwood, colour and magic are one and the same.”

“Twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher was born into a family with a rich tradition of practicing folk magic: hoodoo, as most people call it. But even though his name is Hoodoo, he can’t seem to cast a simple spell.”

“Newbery Medal winner Kelly Barnhill spins a wondrously different kind of fairy-tale: In most fairy tales, princesses are beautiful, dragons are terrifying, and stories are harmless. But this isn’t most fairy tales…”

“Eleven-year-old Juniper Berry once had a cozy, love-filled life with her struggling actor parents but, with their ascent to stardom, they have become cold and zombielike, leaving Juniper lonely and confused.”

“In the small town of Xanadu, Wyoming lies the Menagerie, a top secret facility filled with unicorns, dragons, phoenixes, and other fairy tale creatures. At least, it was a secret—until six griffin cubs escaped.”

“The city of Bryre suffers under the magic of an evil wizard. Because of his curse, girls sicken and disappear without a trace and all live in fear. No one is allowed outside after dark. Night is when Kymera comes to the city, with a cloak disguising her wings, the bolts in her neck, and her spiky tail.”

“Every night, tiny stars appear out of the darkness in little Sandy’s bedroom. She catches them and creates wonderful creatures to play with until she falls asleep, and in the morning brings them back to life in the whimsical drawings that cover her room.”

“Communicating with ghosts, including the spirit of her mother who died giving birth to her, is a gift that Lanesha, 12, has had for as long as she can remember. The girl’s beloved caretaker, Mama Ya-Ya, a midwife and healer, has a gift that allows her to predict the future. When she begins to sense that a big storm is coming to their much-loved New Orleans neighborhood, both she and Lanesha must trust in their senses and in one another to survive.”

“Ansel’s new master slays dragons for a living. He says he’s hunted the monstrous worms all over Christendom-and he has the scars to prove it! But is Brock just a clever trickster in shining armor? Ansel is sure there are no such things as dragons.”

“In a village in ancient Norway lives a boy named Odd, and he’s had some very bad luck. Odd is forced on a stranger journey than he had imagined—a journey to save Asgard, city of the gods, from the Frost Giants who have invaded it.”

“Solidly scientific-minded Ophelia, whose mother has recently died, moves with her older sister and father to a snowy and wintry city, where her father is busy working on a museum exhibition of historical swords. Wandering through the museum, Ophelia discovers a boy who has been locked in a room for years, and who needs her help.”

“Pinocchio has been locked in a trunk and shipped from the emperor’s floating palace to a new master, Geppetto, who is an alchemist at odds with the empire. As an automa, Pinocchio must serve without question, but as in the tale of old, Pinocchio is transitioning into a real boy with his own thoughts and feelings.”

“Pip is a girl who can talk to magical creatures. Her aunt is a vet for magical creatures. And her new friend Tomas is allergic to most magical creatures. When things go amok—and they often go amok—Pip consults Jeffrey Higgleston’s Guide to Magical Creatures, a reference work that Pip finds herself constantly amending.”

“What if your teacher could read your mind just because she was born on a Thursday? Or the kid next to you in class could turn back the clock just because he was a ‘Wednesday”? In the quirky town of Nova, all of this is normal, but” Poppy Mayberry is different.

“Red is not afraid of the big bad wolf. She’s not afraid of anything . . . except magic. But when Red’s granny falls ill, it seems that only magic can save her, and fearless Red is forced to confront her one weakness.”

“Mr. Fountain’s grand mansion is a world away from the dark orphanage Rose had left behind. The gleaming, golden house is practically overflowing with sparkling magic―she can feel it. And though Rose had always wanted to be an ordinary girl with an ordinary life, she realizes she may possess a little bit of magic herself.”

“It’s not every day that you find a famous weatherwoman bound by magic to a tree deep in the woods. Or discover that the weatherwoman is in fact Sunna, the Norse Goddess of the Sun, and one of the seven day guardians who keep time in order.”

“Serafina’s pa, the estate’s maintenance man, has warned her to keep herself hidden from the fancy folk who live on the floors above in the Biltmore estate, but when children at the estate start disappearing, Serafina and her friend Braeden Vanderbilt must work together to solve a dark and dangerous mystery.”

“Ever since she was teased for believing in fairies, Mellie has adopted a strictly scientific and logical approach to life. But when her parents inherit her grandfather’s inn, she learns that for generations, her family members have been fairy guardians.”

“Reality and fantasy collide in this heartfelt and mysterious novel for fans of Counting by 7s and Bridge to Terabithia, about a girl who must save a magical make-believe world in order to save herself.”

“Clara Wintermute, the only child of a wealthy doctor, invites master puppeteer Gaspare Grisini to entertain at her birthday party. He brings his two orphaned assistants. When Clara vanishes, Lizzie and Parse puzzle out her whereabouts, uncovering Grisini’s criminal past along the way.”

“When Owen sees Bethany climb out of a book, he learns that she is half fictional and is searching for her missing father. While Owen sympathizes, he also immediately sees the possibilities for fame, fortune, and glory.” (School Library Journal)

“Twelve-year-old Clara Dooley has spent her whole life in the crumbling Glendoveer mansion, home to a magician’s widow, a cage full of exotic birds, and a decades-old mystery. … And then one day, the mynah bird speaks, and a mystery starts to unravel.”

“Thirteen-year-old Maya, in Paris with her family for a year, lands in the middle of the mysterious La Societé’s quest for immortality when the magical Cabinet of Earths chooses her as its next Keeper, promising to restore her mother’s health.”

“Lillian Kindred spends her days exploring the Tanglewood Forest, a magical, rolling wilderness that she imagines to be full of fairies. The trouble is, Lillian has never seen a wisp of magic in her hills–until the day the cats of the forest save her life by transforming her into a kitten.”

“Twelve-year-old Katherine Bateson believes in a logical explanation for everything. But even she can’t make sense of the strange goings-on at Rookskill Castle, the drafty old Scottish castle-turned-school where she and her siblings have been sent to escape the London Blitz.”

“At age 11, Li Jing is sent away from her family and married off for five pieces of silver. She serves as caregiver for her three-year-old child husband. The Guos, in financial straits, sell Jing to a chinglou, where she is to become a courtesan. Refusing to resign herself to this life, she escapes with the aid of forces both human and magical.” (Publisher’s Weekly, edited)

“Debut novelist Kiran Millwood Hargrave draws on the cultural folklore of the Canary Islands in this richly told story of a girl’s quest to map her own place in a world that legends alone have shaped.”

“Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the Forest, Xan, is kind.”

“Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place-he’s the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians’ time as well as their timely ghostly teachings-like the ability to Fade.”

“Rejected by their princesses and cast out of their castles, the [Prince Charmings] stumble upon an evil plot that could endanger each of their kingdoms. Now it’s up to them to triumph over their various shortcomings, take on trolls, bandits, dragons, witches, and other assorted terrors, and become the heroes no one ever thought they could be.”

“From the moment Horace F. Andrews sees the sign from the bus—a sign with his own name on it—everything changes. The sighting leads him underground, to the House of Answers, a hidden warehouse full of mysterious objects.”

“Rye has grown up hearing the legend of the Luck Uglies – notorious deadly outlaws who once stalked the streets. Now they have faded to ghosts and rumors and Rye isn’t sure they ever existed.” Until one saves Rye’s life.

“All Prunella wants is to be a proper bog-witch. Unfortunately, her curses tend to do more good than harm. When her mixed-up magic allows a sneaky thief to escape her grandmother’s garden, Prunella is cast out until she can prove herself.”

“When a fortuneteller’s tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her?”

“Life is confusing for Mateo Martinez. He and Johnny Ramirez don’t hang out anymore, even though they used to be best friends. He and his new friend Ashwin try to act like brave, old-time knights, but it only gets them in trouble.”

“The Prince of the Rats, who’s in love with Cinderella, is changed into her coachman on the night of the big ball. And together, he and Cinderella are about to turn the legend (and the evening) upside down on their way to a most unexpected happy ending!”

“As the apprentice to Caleb, the last magician in the magic-steeped Barrow, Oscar doesn’t need to worry about how different he is: all he needs to do is collect the herbs, prepare the charms and tinctures, do his chores, and avoid trouble. That changes when a mysterious destructive force begins obliterating anything magical, and the city’s perfect children start falling curiously ill.”

The Remarkable Journey of Charlie Price by Jennifer Maschari
“To twelve-year-old Charlie Price, it seems like losing Mom meant losing everything else he loved, too. Until his sister discovers a secret passageway to a parallel world where Mom is alive, but something’s not right.”

“The queen is dying, a strange menace lures townspeople to places unknown, and Princess Jeniah’s only hope for saving her monarchy lies in the one place prophesied to bring about its destruction.” (Kirkus)

“Raised to believe in science and reason, Horace Carpetine passes off spirits as superstition. Then he becomes an apprentice photographer and discovers an eerie—and even dangerous—supernatural power in his very own photographs.”

“When Kara Westfall was five years old, her mother was convicted of the worst of all crimes: witchcraft. Years later, Kara and her little brother, Taff, are still shunned by the people of their village, who believe that nothing is more evil than magic…except, perhaps, the mysterious forest that covers nearly the entire island.”

“When Alex finds out he is Unwanted, he expects to die. That is the way of the people of Quill. Each year, all the thirteen-year-olds are labeled as Wanted, Necessary, or Unwanted. Wanteds get more schooling and train to join the Quillitary. Necessaries keep the farms running. Unwanteds are set for elimination.”

“Twelve-year-old Brine Seaborne is a girl with a past–if only she could remember what it is. Found alone in a rowboat as a child, clutching a shard of the rare starshell needed for spell-casting, she’s spent the past years keeping house for an irritable magician and his obnoxious apprentice, Peter.”

“Every Tuesday Castle Glower takes on a life of its own-magically inventing, moving, and even completely getting rid of some of its rooms. When the castle is ambushed and Celie’s parents and oldest brother go missing, it’s up to Celie to protect their home and save their kingdom.”

“Warren the 13th is the lone bellhop, valet, waiter, groundskeeper, and errand boy of his family’s ancient hotel. It’s a strange, shadowy mansion full of crooked corridors and mysterious riddles—and it just might be home to a magical object known as the All-Seeing Eye.”

“Sixth grader Xander Miyamoto is a talented artist, but he’s resigned to being considered below average in almost every other way, so when he is revealed to be the last in a line of mythical Japanese warriors, he’s not sure he’s up for the task.” (School Library Journal)

All quoted descriptions are from the publisher, except where indicated.